Greetings, Azalea Friends and thank you for reading our May newsletter! As National Nurses Week is May 6-12, we would like to take this opportunity to tell our nurses how much we appreciate them and thank them for their hard work and dedication to delivering the best possible care to their patients!
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HIPAA Omnibus Rule: Compliance Tips for Provider Preparedness
The HIPAA omnibus rule will go into effect on September 23, 2013.
In order to meet the mandated guidelines, providers will need to consider some key areas when updating their compliance plans:
Immunization Records to Schools: Permits covered entities to disclose proof of immunization to schools without written authorization from student’s guardian in States that require immunization records for enrollment.
Patient Health Information (PHI) 50 Years After Patient’s Death: After a person has been deceased for 50 years, individually identifiable health information of a person is no longer considered to be “protected health information” and may be disclosed to persons involved with decedent’s care or payment, unless it conflicts with the deceased’s “prior expressed preference”.
Increased Rules Regarding Genetic Information: A health plan may not disclose genetic information for underwriting purposes.
Non-disclosure of Services Paid Out of Pocket: Should a patient pay fully out of pocket and request that services and/or procedures not be reported to their health plan, a covered entity must honor that request, unless non-disclosure is prohibited by law.
Providers should also keep in mind that the HIPAA omnibus rule still lacks clarification in several areas. Two such areas are: how covered entities should account for PHI disclosures and create PHI access reports, as well as the minimum “necessary” standards of disclosure of PHI throughout course of care.
For the full article from SearchHealthIT click here.
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New CPTs for Transitional Care Management Introduced by CMS and AMA
Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) collaborated to create two new CPT codes (99495 and 99496) for Transitional Care Management (TCM). These procedure codes include coordination of care for all medical and psychosocial problems that require moderate or high complexity medical decision making during transitions of care.
When billing for TCM it is important to remember these tips:
- Only one provider can bill for TCM services provided to a patient and TCM services can only be reported once during the 30 day post-discharge period.
- CPT and CMS both allow you to bill for TCM even if two or more separate attempts are made. CMS expects contact to be attempted until the patient does reply and documentation of each attempt must be included in the medical record.
For more information about billing for TCM services click here or visit the CMS website.
Please contact us at info@azaleahealth.com or 877-777-7686 if you have questions or would like to know more about how our Azalea RCM services can help you improve your revenue cycle.
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Azalea Partners with VSU in LEAP Employer-Educator Compact
Azalea has partnered with Valdosta State University (VSU) on the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) Employer-Educator Compact which “recognizes that quality learning is a national priority for employers who are seeking college graduates with a broader set of skills and knowledge.” CEO of Azalea, Baha Zeidan explains the importance of working alongside the university: “VSU offers the largest pool of talent in this region, and as business professionals and community leaders, we need to foster this talent by working alongside the university.” As the first business to partner with VSU on this initiative, Azalea recognizes the value of introducing professional experience to college students and currently employs five VSU interns from both the business school and the computer science department, with plans to continue to increase these internship opportunities.
For more information regarding VSU’s involvement with the LEAP Employer-Educator Compact, please click here.
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Other News:
- Due to feedback from many of our users, we have decided to move our 2013 User Meeting to August 1-3, 2013. Please contact us for more information!
- Would you like to know what our clients are saying about us? Click here to access our video testimonials and more.
- Need a refresher course on any of our Azalea systems? Contact our Client Relations Department today to learn how to access short video tutorials and instructional tools on everything from billing to clinical documentation. Call (877) 777-7686 #3 or email cr@azaleahealth.com.
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Upcoming Events:
- The Georgia Charitable Care Network’s 9th Annual Conference in Cartersville, GA on May 2-3, 2013.
- The 2013 Spring Meeting & Pediatric Update hosted by the Alabama chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, FL on May 2-5, 2013.
- Savannah Morning News Celebration of Nurses week event at the Charles H. Morris Center in Savannah, GA on May 9, 2013 from 10 am- 4 pm.
- The Florida Academy of Family Physicians’ 2013 Family Medicine Spring Forum in Sarasota, FL on May 9-12, 2013.
- The Florida Medical Group Management Association (FL MGMA) 2013 Annual Conference at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando,FL on May 13-15, 2013.
- The Alabama – Georgia Rural Health Clinic Conference hosted by the Georgia Rural Health Association in Opelika, AL on June 4-5, 2013.
- 2013 Azalea User Meeting hosted by Azalea Health will be held on August 1-3, 2013 at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, GA. Please contact us for more information!
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Current Job Openings at Azalea: Come join our team!
- Programmer/Web Developer, Valdosta and Atlanta locations
- Software Training & Support Specialist, Valdosta location
- Revenue Cycle Coding/Billing Specialist, Valdosta, Savannah and Macon locations
- Business Office Assistant, Valdosta location
To learn more about these positions and to apply online click here.
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Thank you!
Azalea Health
105 West Central Avenue
Valdosta, GA 31601
Toll Free: 877-777-7686
Local: 229-269-4620
Toll Free Fax: 866-683-8679
Web: http://www.AzaleaHealth.com
Email: marketing@azaleahealth.com
Click the links below to stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/azaleahealth
http://twitter.com/azaleahealth
http://www.linkedin.com/company/1282963?trk=NUS_CMPY_TWIT
http://www.youtube.com/user/azaleahealth
Azalea will be exhibiting at the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2013 Spring Meeting and Pediatric Update on May 2-5, 2013 at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, FL.
Valdosta, GA (April 4, 2013) — Azalea Health (Azalea) has announced the unconditional, Insane Warranty for their proprietary, cloud-based electronic health records system, Azalea EHR.
The Insane Warranty guarantees complete customer satisfaction within up to ninety (90) days of the original contract date or the customer has the right to terminate the contract. Upon this termination, they will receive full reimbursement from Azalea, including all third party vendor fees showing Azalea’s commitment to full client satisfaction of Azalea EHR. Azalea CEO, Baha Zeidan explains, “We are so confident of our product, that if for any reason you find Azalea EHR does not meet your expectations, you have the right to terminate the contract and will receive full reimbursement.”
The simple, web-based, ONC Certified Azalea EHR encompasses the entire spectrum of a medical practice including: scheduling, billing, lab reporting, and clinical charting. Azalea EHR is available to our clients anywhere with internet access, including mobile devices with 3G or 4G service. Additionally, the Azalea Patient Portal (PHR) is integrated into Azalea EHR and Azalea PM. This portal gives patients the power to view their online lab results and prescriptions, request new appointments, pay their bills online, and more.
About Azalea Health
Azalea Health (Azalea), Inc. is a leading provider in cloud-based electronic health records software (EHR), practice management software (PM), and revenue cycle management services (RCM). Azalea products provide continuity that unifies both the medical and financial aspects of today’s healthcare provider. For more information on Azalea visit www.AzaleaHealth.com or call (877) 777-7686.
As the Chief Executive Officer of Azalea Health (a local business in Valdosta-Lowndes County), and a Valdosta State University alumni, I was both impressed and proud of VSU’s Inaugural Week events for President McKinney.
The week long celebration was themed, “Engaged Innovation” and brought forth awareness to the exciting events and achievements occurring throughout the VSU community. Each day was given a title: “Engaged Innovation & the Individual”, “Engaged Innovation in the Classroom”, “Engaged Innovation in the Community,” and finally, “Engaged Innovation in Higher Education.” Additionally, the Undergraduate Research Symposium was held which highlighted numerous outstanding students in various departments. Participants presented their exceptional research projects to an audience of scholars, students, and business leaders.
The inaugural week showcased President McKinney’s dedication to the students, faculty, and community of Valdosta State University, with events such as a Battle of the Bands, a student art exhibit, the world class theatrical production of Pippin, a talent showcase, and a barbeque for the students, faculty, and staff. The crescendo of the week was Friday, April 5, where VSU hosted both the Investiture Ceremony and Inaugural Ball benefiting Student Scholarships.
During the Investiture Ceremony, forty-seven international flags were presented; representing the forty-seven origin countries of students attending VSU. The Inaugural Ball, attended by faculty, staff, community leaders, and students, was held in the Student Union Ballroom. The ball was one of the most elegant and enjoyable events I have attended in Valdosta. Azalea Health was proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the event, which raised funds for student scholarships.
VSU has taken a giant leap in the right direction. It is crucial for the university to raise awareness of the achievements and excellence of students and faculty. Inviting community and business leaders into the school cultivates their involvement with the university, and enables them to experience firsthand the talent of their future workforce. The week of events demonstrates that VSU recognizes that it is imperative to coordinate with local businesses to ensure the curriculum introduced to students is relative to their specific industry needs.
I look forward to the strengthened relationship of the community and university, as well as the continued collaboration of business leaders throughout the region with VSU. I wish President McKinney the best, and fully support the innovative initiatives of VSU.
Sincerely,
Baha Zeidan
CEO/Co-Founder
Azalea Health
The Azalea Health team will both sponsor and attend the 2013 Georgia Charitable Care Network’s (GCCN) 9th Annual Conference: A Time of Transition in Cartersville, GA at the Clarence Brown Conference Center on May 2-3, 2013.
The Azalea team will attend the 2013 Medical Association of Alabama (MASA) Annual Meeting in Mobile, AL on April 11- 14, 2013 at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel. “MASA exists to serve, lead and unite physicians in promoting the highest quality of health care for the people of Alabama through advocacy, information and education.”
Welcome, Azalea Friends, and thank you for reading this month’s newsletter! We have been keeping busy this past month; hiring 4 new employees, expanding our Valdosta office to occupy 2 floors, winning the Small Business of the Year Award, starting the Azalea Health scholarship fund for Wiregrass Georgia Technical College students, and more!
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Importance of Establishing an Online Presence for your Practice
In today’s technology driven world, it is no surprise that 80 percent of American web users look online for health information, making health searches the third most searched topic online. Establishing a strong online presence is crucial for any medical practice and can be developed in multiple ways; by launching a practice website, listing a practice on medical internet rating sites, and creating profiles on social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Perhaps the most important of these is launching a practice website. A website can be a center of knowledge for your current patients as well as for potential patients; allowing them to view your services, meet you staff, print out patient education and forms, alert them of financial policies, and can even facilitate patient interaction and healthcare management by adding a link to the practice’s patient portal. If managed by a web development third party, such as Azalea, a website can be developed and requires little maintenance from your practice.
To learn about Azalea’s web design and development services click here or contact us!
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Sequestration Affecting Medicare Fee-For-Service Program
On March 8, 2013, Medicare announced that “claims with dates-of-service or dates-of-discharge on or after April 1, 2013, will incur a 2 percent reduction in Medicare payment.” This reduction comes out of the Budget Control Act of 2011, which requires mandatory cuts in Federal government spending. Congress could push back the reduction in payment, but if it does not then providers would be subject to the 2 percent reduction. This reimbursement reduction would occur after patients’ deductibles and co-insurances are taken out of the charges’ allowable amounts. Any questions regarding reimbursement should be directed to your local Medicare claims administration contractor.
For the more information regarding sequestration from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) click here or visit the CMS website here.
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Azalea Wins 2013 Small Business of the Year Award
Azalea Health was awarded the 2013 Small Business of the Year Award by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, March 21, 2013. The Small Business of the Year Award is given to a business with 100 or fewer employees that exhibits growth and stability in the business community. “Azalea Health was chosen because of their management philosophy, work ethic and commitment to their employees and this community, which is shown through their impressive list of accomplishments in such a short period of time,” stated Jeff Sikes, a Selection Committee Member.
To read the full press release from Azalea Health click here.
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Other News:
- Due to feedback from many of our users, we have decided to move our 2013 User Meeting to August 1-3, 2013. Please contact us for more information!
- Azalea Health will award up to two (2) senior students per semester of the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College’s Health Information Technology program to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam. For more information click here.
- Would you like to know what our clients are saying about us? Click here to access our video testimonials and more.
- Need a refresher course on any of our Azalea systems? Contact our client relations department today to learn how to access short video tutorials and instructional tools on everything from billing to clinical documentation. Call (877) 777-7686 #3 or email cr@azaleahealth.com.
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Upcoming Events:
- Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA) 2013 Annual Session on April 11-14, 2013 at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, AL.
- HomeTown Health 2013 Annual Spring Conference at the Sea Palms Resort on St. Simon’s Island, GA on April 24-26, 2013 .
- Savannah Morning News Celebration of Nurses week event at the Charles H. Morris Center in Savannah, GA on May 9, 2013.
- The Florida Academy of Family Physicians’ 2013 Family Medicine Spring Forum in Sarasota, FL on May 9-12, 2013.
- The Florida Medical Group Management Association (FL MGMA) 2013 Annual Conference at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando,FL on May 13-15, 2013.
- 2013 Azalea User Meeting hosted by Azalea Health will be held on August 1-3, 2013 at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, GA. Please contact us for more information!
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Current Job Openings at Azalea: Come join our team!
- Programmer/Web Developer, Valdosta and Atlanta locations
- Software Training & Support Specialist, Valdosta location
- Revenue Cycle Coding/Billing Specialist, Valdosta location
- Business Office Assistant, Valdosta location
To learn more about these positions and to apply online click here.
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Thank you!
Azalea Health
105 West Central Avenue
Valdosta, GA 31601
Toll Free: 877-777-7686
Local: 229-269-4620
Toll Free Fax: 866-683-8679
Web: http://www.AzaleaHealth.com
Email: marketing@azaleahealth.com
Click the links below to stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/azaleahealth
http://twitter.com/azaleahealth
http://www.linkedin.com/company/azalea-health
http://www.youtube.com/user/azaleahealth
Valdosta, GA (March 28, 2013)- Azalea Health was awarded the 2013 Small Business of the Year Award by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, March 21, 2013.
The Small Business of the Year Award is given to a business with 100 or fewer employees that exhibits growth and stability in the business community. “Azalea Health was chosen because of their management philosophy, work ethic and commitment to their employees and this community, which is shown through their impressive list of accomplishments in such a short period of time,” stated Jeff Sikes, a Selection Committee Member.
Though Azalea has had many things working in the company’s favor upon opening in April 2008, such as securing a $100,000 line of credit and winning the Chamber’s business plan competition, they also faced numerous obstacles. Upon the opening of Azalea’s doors, they were abruptly met with the realization of the financial crisis that greatly affected their target market of small physician practices, who were themselves hit hard by the crisis and resistant to purchasing any new services or software.
With little name recognition and no track record, coupled with the negative impact of the financial crisis, Azalea forged ahead and began establishing a foothold in the Valdosta-Lowndes County community. This was done by developing relationships with community leaders and physicians.“Our surrounding community has offered us the unlimited support and guidance that is essential to any small business success,” says Baha Zeidan, CEO. “We strive to keep collaboration at the foundation of all operations”. With that thought in mind, Azalea hosted the first ‘Collaboration for Future Innovation’ forum in 2012, held to discuss ways the university and technical college can collaborate with local businesses to create opportunities for advancement throughout the Valdosta-Lowndes County area.
Today, Azalea has 40 employees and more than six thousand system users nationwide. They have an impressive suite of software systems that include electronic health records, practice management systems, laboratory ordering and reporting systems, electronic prescribing, patient health records portal as well as revenue cycle management and precertification services.
About Azalea Health
Azalea Health is a leading provider of cloud-based electronic health records software (EHR), practice management software (PM), and revenue cycle management services (RCM). Azalea® products provide continuity that unifies both the medical and financial aspects of today’s healthcare provider. For more information on Azalea® visit www.AzaleaHealth.com or call (877) 777-7686.
Valdosta, GA (March 20, 2013)- Azalea Health will award up to two (2) senior students of the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College’s Health Information Technology program $500 of funding to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam.
In recognition of the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College’s (Wiregrass) Health Information Technology (HIT) program and its dedication to the advancement of the HIT industry, Azalea Health (Azalea) will award a scholarship of $500 to up to two senior students per semester who exhibit exemplary academic behavior. The scholarship funds will be put towards the fee to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam. The RHIT exam will enable program graduates to gain national certification in the field, and increase the graduate’s marketability for employment in the healthcare information technology industry.
Azalea works closely with Wiregrass in multiple ways: Azalea’s CEO serves on Wiregrass’ Foundation South Board of Trustees, and both CFO and CEO serve as Technical Advisors for the HIT program, which received accreditation in October of 2012. Wiregrass Executive Director for Institutional Advancement & Foundation South, Dr. Penelope Schmidt, explains what Azalea’s guidance and scholarship opportunity means to the program: “Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation South is grateful for this very generous scholarship offered by Azalea for HIT students. Azalea has been an outstanding partner to Wiregrass by advising our faculty on the development of the HIT curriculum, hiring our graduates, and now offering this scholarship to help students obtain their professional credential of Registered Health Information Technician. We are so appreciative for this scholarship and the ongoing partnership with Azalea.”
Azalea has hired numerous graduates of the HIT program at Wiregrass due to the high level of training students receive throughout the program. Azalea CFO, Douglas Swords, speaks about the importance of preparing the future workforce: “The HIT industry in is need of a trained and highly skilled workforce to continue to excel in today’s healthcare systems. We applaud Wiregrass for creating a local solution for our community’s medical environment and will continue to support this initiative through the Azalea Health HIT Scholarship.”
The scholarship will be available to senior students in the Spring Semester of 2013. Applicants must be a full-time student at Wiregrass and have a minimum of 3.30 GPA. To learn more information regarding the Azalea Health Scholarship, please contact the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation South.
About Azalea Health
Azalea Health is a leading provider of cloud-based electronic health records software (EHR), practice management software (PM), and revenue cycle management services (RCM). Azalea® products provide continuity that unifies both the medical and financial aspects of today’s healthcare provider. For more information on Azalea® visit www.AzaleaHealth.com or call (877) 777-7686.
About Wiregrass Technical College
The mission of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, a SACS-COC accredited public two-year technical college and a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, is to promote community, educational, and economic development by providing a highly trained workforce for South Central Georgia. For more information visit www.wiregrass.edu.
Valdosta, GA (March 21, 2013) — Emanuel Medical Center (EMC) of Swainsboro, GA chooses Azalea Health’s (Azalea) electronic health records (EHR), Azalea EHR.
The 72 bed acute care hospital chose Azalea EHR due to the simplicity of the cloud-based system. Additionally, being a facility with a focus on obstetrics, having an EHR with built in forms directly from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) was a significant advantage. David Flanders, Chief Information Officer at EMC explains, “We spoke with several other hospitals who elected to utilize Azalea’s solutions,all of which were very impressed by the services and software supplied by Azalea.” The administration at EMC was also attracted by the ease of use and flexibility offered by the cloud-based, Azalea EHR as well as the fact that no external hardware purchases were required to implement the system.
“We are pleased that our Azalea EHR fit (EMC)’s needs and look forward to our partnership with them,” says Baha Zeidan, CEO of Azalea. Azalea EHR is a cloud-based ONC certified complete ambulatory electronic health records system that encompasses the full spectrum of healthcare from scheduling, charting, and e-prescribing to billing, laboratory ordering and reporting, pre-authorization solutions, online CPOE and personal health portals. EMC will also utilize Azalea’s professional medical billing service, Azalea RCM.
About Azalea Health
Azalea Health (Azalea) is a leading provider in cloud-based electronic health records software (EHR), practice management software (PM), and revenue cycle management services (RCM). Azalea products provide continuity that unifies both the medical and financial aspects of today’s healthcare provider. For more information on Azalea visit www.AzaleaHealth.com or call (877) 777-7686.
About Emanuel Medical Center
Emanuel Medical Center (EMC) opened in 1952 and is currently licensed for 72 acute care beds and 12 bassinets. Owned by the County and governed by the Emanuel County Hospital Authority, EMC operates a not-for-profit facility and its operations are completely funded by revenues generated through patient services. The Authority is comprised of eight citizens of Emanuel County plus the current Chief of Medical Staff. Emanuel Medical Center is fully accredited by DNV Accreditation. This means that we voluntarily submit to extensive evaluations of our compliance with specific hospital standards on a continuing basis. For more information on EMC visit www.EmanuelMedical.org.
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